Wrapping machine



lllllllllllllllll |.||Ill|.|ll|lll| CIS WERDEN TTORN EY 'l' Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HENRY J. WERDEN WRAPP'ING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1940 H. J. WERDEN ET A1.'

Jan. 9, 1945 Jan. 9,1945.

HJ J. WERDEN l-:T A1,

WRAPPING MACHINEv Filed Aug. 2, 1940 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 fe /fQ zu 36 fief H5 INVENTOR HENRY `:.wERbriN BY FRANCIS wn-:RDN ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1945. J. WERDEN-VET Ai.- 2,71**66888V WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1940 '7 sheets-sheet 4 Edif A; EORNEY www INVENTOR HENRY d wERoEN BY FRANCIS WERDEN Jam 9,'1945 H. J. WERDEN ET A1. 2,366,888

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1940 v-sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR HENRY `:.wERnEN BY FRANCIS WERDEN AT ORNEY Jan. 9, 1945.. H. J. WERDEN ETAL 2,366,888

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1940 '7 `sheeffb-shm e FIGJ INVENTOR HENRY WERDEN N Q N BY FRANCIS WERDEN Jan.`919`45. H. J. WERDEN T Al.

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2. 1940 7 sheets-sheet 'f' ww www I lxl-lil xNvEN'roR HENRY J. WERDEN BY FRANCIS IERDEN WNNN QQN mxlLluwwun o o ww ww ww www ww ww Patented jan.. n,

WRAPIPING MACHINE Henry li. werden, West St. Paul, and Francis Werden, St. Paul, Minn., assignors to American Machine a Foundry Company, a corporation oi New Jersey Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. `349,924

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wrapping machines, more particularly to bread wrapping machines of the type shown in the patents issued to T. Jensen, Patent No. 2,320,362, June 1, 1943, and 2,221,481, November 12, 1940, which. are provided with a rconveyor having sets of nights arranged to admit loaves of bread therebetween from a chute, or from an infeed conveyor delivering sliced loaves from a slicing machine, and advance the loaves endwise into position to be ejected from between the con-f veyor nights on to a Vlifter tableprovided with tuckers acting to tuck the ends of a wrapper enfolded about the loaf during the` delivery of the same to the table and moving upwardly with the table, whereby the tucked ends of the package are engaged with folder structure acting to fold the wrapper ends over said tucked portions. An object of the invention is to simultaneously adjust in machines of the general type shown in the above-mentioned applications, the gap between the conveyor nights, the tuckers and the folders to accommodate loaves of various lengths.

Another object is to adjust the Vbreadth of the pusher which elects the loaf from between the conveyor nights, in accordance with the increased or decreased length of the particular run of loaves being handled, simultaneously with the the invention is to provide flights havingl a suincient breadth to permit elimination of the stop plate. .Thus the nightswill extend in sufficient proximity to the tuckers to guide the loaf during ejection. Moreover the ejecting pusher is provided with projections extending suniciently into slots on the interior faces of the nights to assure ejection of the heels with the rest of the loafping of bread loaves to cartons.

nights in engagement with the inserted loaves,

and extends into the proximity of the path of the pusher, so that the guide will be advanced or retracted in accordance with the expansion or contraction of the pusher, simultaneously with the adjustment ofthe conveyor nights, tuckers and folders. y

Still another object of the invention is to tilt the leading night of each set of conveyor nights forwardly at the loaf-inserting position to facilitate insertion of the loaf. Heretofore the flightsV have been set to closely nt the inserted loaves, wherefore the `proper insertion of the loaves was rendered diflicult` by disalignment of the conveyor nights with the infeed chute or conveyor due to improper setting of the conveyor nights, or y other causes.

Heretofore the loaves were advanced into the path of the pusher against a stop plate; and with sliced loaves the heel vat the leading end of the loaf would enter the space provided in the stop plate for passage of the nights, Wherefore this heel of the loaf occasionally would not be ejected vWith these and otherl objects not specifically. mentioned in view the invention consists: in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specincally set the' claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention and form.

a part of this specincation and in which rlike characters designate similar parts: l A

Fig, 1 is a plan view of a wrapping machine exemplifying the invention; v l l 4 Fig. 2 `is a'detail plan View on an enlarged scale of the adjustable pusher mechanism;

Fig. 3is a detail side `elevationon the` same enlarged scale as Fig. 4, showing the conveyor and sprocket adjusting mechanism as viewed from line 3-3 of Fig.,4;

Fig. 4 is a partial rear elevation of the machine showing the manner in which the -sprocket line `6--6 of mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9 9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a detail view of the mechanism for disengaging the tucker adjusting means from the main control.

Fig. 11 is a detail plan view taken from the une of Figs, of the portion of the maby the pusher. Accordingly, a further object of chine shown in Fig. 3, the pusher being shown fragmentarily; and

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the machine.-

,3sat

forth in I Referring to Figs. 1 and 12, it will 'be seen that the conveyor, pusher, tuckers, top folders, plough i, 1 28. The construction of these folders and sealers `may besimilar to that shown in the co-pending application of T. Jensen, on which Patent No.

*2,320,362 was granted, to which reference may be had for the details thereof. A sprocket 30 on shaft I2 is connected by sprocket chain 32 to a sprocket 34 cn a shaft 36 having right and left'- hand threaded portions threaded into lugs 38 at one end of the refrigerated coolers 40, and shaft 36 is4 provided with a sprocket 39 connected by a chain 42 to a 'shaft (not shown) similarly threaded into lugs at the other end of the coolers.

Thus upon turning the hand wheel I the coolers will be adjusted simultaneously with the folders and sealers. The construction of the coolers may be similar to thatshown in the above mentioned Jensen application, S. N. 225,697, on which Patent No. 2,320,362 was granted.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the pusher is formed with; a pusher ,head |02 -fastened on a slide |02 which is supported from lugs |04 to which are fastened the ends of a bar IUS-entering a key-way in the side of the slide, the slide being retained on the bar by plates |06 fastened to the lugs'I04 and the latter being carried by the barv |98 fastened on the tie-rods I I0 connecting the frames I I2. Extensions IIE and ||6 of the pusher head |0| are slidably mounted on the latter, extension ||4 being provided with lugs into slots |22, and |24 formed inthe front and top face respectively of the pusher head. The

extension ||6 slides upon a flange |25 formed on the front face of the pusher head, the flange being of sulcient thickness and breadth to snugly t the extension ||6. The latter is formed,

to telescope on the extension I|4 when these two parts are adjusted inwardly on the pusher head to diminish the effective breadth of the latter. For adjustment of the extensions toward and away from each other there vare provided arms |26 and |28 which' are equipped with lugs or projections |21 and |29 respectively and fastened to the extensions ||4 and IIS respectively and loosely mounted on a cross-bar |30 clamped in abracket |32, which may be welded or sultably fastened to the bottom of the slide |02. In

the bracket |32 is journaled the sleeve |34 within which is fastened the mid-section of a screw having 'right and left-hand threaded portions |36 and |38, respectively, threaded into lugs |40 and |42 of the arms |26 and |28. On sleeve |34 is fastened a gear |44 meshing with a gear |46 mounted on one end of the'shaft |48. The laty ter is journaled in the bracket |32, and on its lother end is mounted a universal joint connected to a link |52 telescoping into a tube |54 connected to another universal joint |56 suitably rotated by suitable mechanism hereinafter described. Thus the extensions may be moved toward and away from each other to increase or diminisl'the effective breadth of the pusher in .accordance with variations in the lengths of the loaves to be handled. It may be noted that the I8 and |29 projecting inwardlyA is slidably mounted on a. shaft 88 and moved outfront end of the arm |26 is provided with a ledge |58 of the proper thickness to form a face flush with the front face of the vextension |I6 when the extensions are brought together for the minimum effective breadth ofthe pusher, this .fea-

ture being desirable when wrapping cartons. The

slide |02 is connected by a link |60 to an arm |62 mounted on a shaft |64 and actuated by a link/|66 fr om a cam (not sh'own).

A bevel gear 50 on shaft l2 meshes with a gear 5| on a shaft 52 supported by the front side frame ||2 and connected by a universal joint 54 68 will adjust the tucker 12 inwardly or outward-v ly. The end of the shaft 68 projecting from the bracket 14 has a squared cross-section slidably fitting a, tube 16 fastened to the end of a, spindle 18 having a left-hand threaded portion threaded into a tucker-supporting arm 80, carrying the other tucker 82. The arm is free to slide on bracket 83 and is guided thereon by guides 88 and 85 fastened to the arm andex'tending under the bottom of the bracket (Fig. 9). The bracket 83 is clamped by bolts 86 to the support 81 which wardly during the delivery of the loaf to the lifter by the action of a roller 89 engaging a plate 90 on the support 81. .The roller is mounted on a swinging block 9| loosely mounted on shaft 88 vand rocked back and/ forth by a link 92 from a cam (not shown) to move the support outwardly with the tucker 82 during the delivery of the loaf to the lifter table, the plate being held against roller 89 by a compression spring 93 bearing against support 81 and seated against a collar 94 fastened on shaft 88, whereby the tucker 82 will be returned to its inward position to tuck one end of the wrapper` enfolding the article delivered to the lifter table. The bracket 14 is similarly clamped to asupport 95 similarly mounted on justed, as is desirable when changing from wrapping bread to wrapping cartons, by turning the tube 16 by hand. With the illustrated tuckeradjusting construction, which forms the subject matter of my divisional application, Serial No. 497,186, filed August 3, 1943, it is possible'to have a greater range of adjustment without recourse to reversal of tuckers from one side of the tucker supporting arms to the other as heretofore for the minimumand maximum lengths of articles.

Referring to Fig. 3, it may be noted that a said universal joint carrying the tube |54 whichis connected to the universal joint |50 (Fig. 2)

fastened to the pinion shaft |48 of the pusher` bevel adiusting mechanism as described above. Shaft 206 is mounted in bearing lugs formed on a housing 201 and is also provided with a pinion 208 driving a gear 2I0 on a countershaft 2| 2 also mounted in bearing lugs of housing 201. Shaft 212 carries a worm 2H which meshes with a worm wheel 2I6 mounted on a shaft 2l8 journaled in housing 201. On shaft 218 is mounted a. pinion 220 meshing with a rack worm 222 mounted on a shaft 224 mounted in housing 201. A rack 226 is fastened at one endin the worm 222 and projects into a sleeve 230.011 which are mounted sprockets 232 and 234 having abutting flanges which enclose the ends of a cross-shaft 236, projecting through sleeve 230 and bearings 238 in sleeve 236. A pinion 242 on shaft 236 meshes with` the rack 226 whereby bevel gears 244 and 246 on the ends of shaft 236, which mesh with ring gearsv 248 and 250 fastened to the sprockets 232 and 234, respectively, may be rotated to turn the sprockets 232 and 234 in opposite directions simultaneously. The sprockets 232 and 234 are driven from a. bevel gear 252 which is fastened to the sleeve 230 and intermittently driven from a suitable indexing mechamsm/Knot shown), the sleeve being supported by a, bearing 254. The housing 201 is provided with a downwardly extending nange which is fastened to the cross members ll2a and ll2b and upright ll2c 'of the rear frame H2, as shown in Figs. 4 and 412. The bearing 254 may be formed integral with the cross member ll2a, as shown in Fig. 4. The construction of the rear frame is the same as the front frame except for the additional cross members ll2a and |I2b which are connected to an upright Il2c which is narrower than the corresponding upright of the front frame.

Sprocket l232 drives a .sprocket chain 256 to which are fastened at equal intervals a series of brackets 258 each having fastened thereon a night 262 (Fig. 3), the sprocket chain 266 running over an idler sprocket 251 loosely mounted on a shaft 26 I'supported by a bracket 263 mounted on the front frame II2 in themanner shown in Fig. 12. Sprocket 234 drivesa chain 264 to which are fastened at equal intervals a series of brackets 266 on each of which is pivoted an arm 268 which is urged upwardly by a` torsion spring 210, the chain 264 running over a sprocket 265 loosely mounted on .shaft 26i. Flights 212 are4 fastened to the upper end of each arm 268 in position opposing an adjacent night 262 to clamp a loaf of bread therebetween. It may be noted that each torsion spring urges its-respecl tive night 212 away from the opposing night 262 of the other chain so that the loaf of bread may readily enter between them, which is particularly desirable with sliced loaves.

lower end of each night is disposed at an acute angle to the remainder of the night, so that the extent which the night 2112 needs to be swung back to admit the loaf may be substantially reduced. Each inserted loaf is then advanced between a set of nights 262, 212, whereby the cam K roller 214 on the lower end of the arm 268 rides.

along the inclined face of the cam rail 216 on to the bottom face thereof and swings the night 212 against the adjacent end of the loaf to nrmly clamp it against the night 262 and maintains night 212 in clamping position at the loaf-ejecttogether or farther apart within the `desired range. Each night has a bend in its mld-mor tion forming a slot adapted to receive the lugs or projections i2? and lf2@ of the pusher arms. These lugs project sumciently into the slots to assure removal of the heels of sliced bread loaves.

IIhe loaves are delivered from a chute'- (not shown), or from the delivery conveyor of a slicing machine, on to a runway 28d having a longitudinal slot through which the arms supporting the nights travel into loaf-receiving and ejecting positions successively. The loaves inserted between the nights are' guided by a guide rail 282 engaging one side of the loaves. This guide is provided with strips 284 sliding between rollers 206, supported on uprights 288 and a tension spring Zeil urges the guide forwardly toward the path of the pusher. A cable 292 is connected at one end to guide 282 and at the other end to a bar 284 fastened to one of the frames supporting the folders. The length of the cable is such that the rail 282 is maintained in a position slightly to one side of the path of the pusher and 88 is intermittently rocked to periodically raise the table from loaf-receiving position to a horizontal position aligned with a table V300. A web of wrapping material (not shown) is fed into position to be partially enfolded about the loaf durv ing its delivery to the lifter table, as described in the above-mentioned Jensen application, S. N. 225,697, and the tuckers are moved apart to admit the partially enfolded loaf therebetweenand then moved inwardly'to tuck theends of the wrappers. During the ascent of the lifter table the top folders 22 fold the upper wrapper naps The inner upper end of each arm 268 is suitably beveled andthev over the tuckers. Then the loaf is advanced by nights (not shown) carried by a continuously traveling chain to advance the loaf upon table 300 whereby the final bottom flap is folded under the bottom of the loaf and the plough folders 24 land the bottom folders 26 complete the folding As the Wrapped of the ends of the wrapper. loaves are pushed through thesealers 28 and coolers 40, by the following loaves advanced over table 300, the finished loaves beyond the coolers.`

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a'conveyor having sets of flights adapted to admit an articletherebetween, of a member` for electing articles-from between successive sets of will be advanced o lflights of said conveyor, and mechanism for siing station.' By the above described relative adjustment of the sprockets 232 and 234 various multaneously regulating the gap between the various sets of conveyor nights and the effective breadth of said member in accordance with variout lengths of articles to be handled.

2. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a conveyor having sets of nights adapted to admit an article therebetween, of a` member for electing articles from between successive sets of nights of said conveyor, mechanism for simultaneously regulating the gap between the various sets of conveyor nights and the effective Ybreadth of said member in accordance with various lengths of articles to be handled, and mechanism for delivering articles sidewise into successive 15 sets of flights of said conveyor.

3. In 'a wrapping machine, the combination with a conveyor having sets of iiights adapted to admit an article therebetween, of a member for electing articles from between successive sets of ights of said conveyor, mechanism for simultaneously regulating the gap between the various sets of conveyor flights andthe eiective breadth of said member in accordance with vari-l ous lengths of articles to be handled, and a guide disposed to engage a side of articles inserted between said sets of nights and extendinginto the proximity of the path of said member and connected to said mechanism for retraction vinto a position which will not interfere with the movement of said member when its breadth is being increased by said mechanism.

4. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a paix.` of spaced tuckers adapted to admit therebetween an article to be Wrapped and engage the ends thereof, of an article feed for conveying articles in an endwise direction with respect to their length, said article feed including a pair of parallelvendless members, and opposed grippers one on each member arranged to grip the ends of an article between them, means for supporting and intermittently driving said members to brin'g articles gripped between the opposed grippers into a predetermined. position adjacent said' tuckers, a device for ejecting articles from said feed at said predetermined position between said tuckers, and mechanism external to said endless members and the supporting and driving means therefor operable to vary the spacing of said grippers, without interrupting the movement of said members, and means opf erated by said mechanism for varying the spacing of said tuckers in conformity with variations in the spacing of said grippers.

5. In a wrapping machine, the combination with an article feed for conveying articles in an cles, and connections between said devices and said mechanism to simultaneously adjust the spacing between said grippers to correspond with the spacing of 'said devices as a result of the adlustment of the devices.

6. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a conveyor having sets of flights adapted to admit an article therebetween, of a member for ejecting articles from between successive sets of nights of said conveyor at a predetermined position of said iiights to enfold the same in a wrapper disposed in front of said position, mechanism for simultaneously regulating the gap between the various sets of conveyor nights and the effective breadth of said member in accordance with various lengths of articles to be handled, sets of folders arranged to fold the ends of the wrapper inwardly over the ends of the article ejected from the conveyor nights, and means connecting said folders to said mechanism for adjustment of said folders simultaneously with said flights and -member for accommodation of articles of various lengths. y

'7. The combination with a member for displacing articles,` of mechanism for actuating said member, means for expanding and contracting said member to conform to various sizes of articies being. handled, said. member includinga reciprocable slide, a pusher head nounted on said slide, extensions slidably mounted on said head at either end thereof, a screw carried by said slide and lhaving a right-hand threaded portion threaded into one of said extensions and a lefthand threaded portion threaded into the other i of said extensions, a gear fastened on said screw,

. a. pinion meshing with said gear, a shaft carrying said pinion and mounted on said slide, a universal joint having one of its ends connected to said shaft. a link slidably mounted on the other end of said universal joint and adapted to turn said pinion shaft to vary the spacing of said extensions.

8. The combination with a member for displacing articles, of mechanism for actuating said member, means for expanding and contracting said member to conform to various sizes of articles being handled, and a guide arranged to guide an article into the path of said member and extending into the proximity of said path andv connected to said means for retraction from said path vor movement toward said path simultanetending into the proximity of said path and conl nected to said means for retraction from said path or movement toward said path simultaneously with the expansion or contraction of said member by said means to compensate for various lsizes of articles being handled, said means including a spring urging the guide toward the path of said member, and av cable connected to said guide and adapted to retract it from said path.

10. In a wrapping machine, the combination with ar article feed for conveying articles in an endwise direction with respect to their length, said article feed including a pair of opposed members arranged to grip the ends of an article insei-ted between them, and means for moving said members to a predetermined position, a pair of spaced tuckers adapted to admit therebetween and engage the ends of an article ejected transversely from between said members at said position and mechanism for simultaneously and correspondingly adjusting each of said members and tuckers toward and away from the opposed member and tucker respectively to accommodate therebetween articles of various lengths.

1l. In a wrapping machine, the combination with spaced wrapping devices arranged to admit an article sidewise therebetween and fold a wrapper over the ends of the article inserted between them, means for delivering articles between said devices, said means comprising a pusher constructed and arranged so that its width may be varied to correspond to the length of the article to be wrapped, mechanism for adjusting said wrapping devices toward and away from each other to iit different lengths of articles, and instrumentaiities interconnecting said wrapping devices and said pusher to automatically vary the width of said pusher in conformity with variations inthe spacing of said wrapping devices produced by operation of said mechanism.

12. In a wrapping machine, the combination tween said tuckers and the adjustable sections' of said member to vary the effective breadth of said member in conformity with variations in .the spacing of said tuckers produced by operation of said mechanism.

13. In a wrapping machine, the combination with a pair of spaced tuckers adapted to admit therebetween an article to be wrapped and engage the ends thereof, of an article feed for conveying articles in an endwise direction with lrespect to their length, said article feed ineluding a pair of endless members having parallel portions and series of grippers mounted on each of said members, each gripper on one of said members being arranged opposite a gripper on the other of said members along the parallel portions of said members to provide sets of grippers coacting along said parallel portions to grip the ends of an article inserted between a set of y grippers, means for supporting and intermittently driving said members to advance articles gripped between each set of grippers to a predetermined position adjacent said tuckers, a device for ejecting articles from the set of grippers at said predetermined position into a position between said tuckers, mechanism external to saidY endless members and the supporting and driving means therefor to vary the spacing of grippers of each of the sets of grippers along said parallel portions of said members, said mechanism including a device for relatively moving said members to vary the spacing of each set of grippers to admit articles of dierent length, and means operated by said mechanism for varying the spacing of said tuckers in conformity with variations in the spacing of said grippers.

14. In a wrapping machine, the combination with an article feed for conveying articles in an endwise direction withrespect to their length,

said article feed including a pair of endless sprocket chains having parallel runs, series of conveyor flights on each of said chains, each night on one of said chains being arranged opposite a ilight on the other of said chains along said parallel runs to provide sets of grippersl co-l acting along the parallel runs of said chains to grip the ends of an article between them and advance the articles to a predetermined position.

, mechanism operable to move said chains relatively to each other to vary the spacing of the conveyor flights of each set of flights along said parallel runs to admit articles of diierent length, spaced wrapping devices arranged to :admit articles therebetween after they are advanced to said predetermined position by said flights and cooperating to act on opposite ends of the ar ticle, means for adjusting said devices toward and away from each other to fit different sizes of articles.' and connections between said devices and said mechanism to simultaneously adjust the spacing of the flights of said sets of conveyor fiightsto correspond with the spacing of said devices as a result of the adjustment of the wrapping devices.

15. In a wrapping machine, the combination with an article feed for conveying articles in an endwise direction with respect to their length to a predetermined position, said article feed including a pair of endless sprocket chains having parallel runs, series of conveyor nights on each of said chains, each of the conveyor flights on one of said chains being opposite one of the conveyor flights on the other of said chains along said parallel' runs toprovide sets of flights coacting along said parallel runs to grip the ends of an article between them and advance the ari ticles along said parallel runs to a predetermined position, means for driving said chains to advance along said parallel runs to said predetermined position the articles gripped between the -sets of conveyor flights, a pair of spaced, opposed tuckers adapted to` admit therebetween and engage the ends of an article ejected transversely from between the set of conveyor flights at said predetermined position, and mechanism for simultaneously and correspondingly adjusting each of said opposed conveyor flights and tuckers toward and away from the opposed conveyor flight and tucker respectively to accommodate therebetween articles of various lengths, said driving means including a pair of sprockets over which said chains run, and said mechanism including a device for relatively rotating said sprockets to vary the spacing of the conveyor iiights of each set of flights along said parallel runs, and instrumentalities operated by said device for simul- Y taneously and correspondingly varying the spacing of said tuckers.

^ HENRY J. WERDEN.

FRANCIS WERDEN. 

